This application relates to an integrally bladed rotor, such as utilized in gas turbine engines, wherein an outer rim has a discontinuity.
Gas turbine engines typically include a plurality of sections mounted in series. A fan section may deliver air to a compressor section. The compressor section may include high and low compression stages, and delivers compressed air to a combustion section. The air is mixed with fuel in the combustion section and burned. Products of this combustion are passed downstream over turbine rotors.
The compressor section includes a plurality of rotors having a plurality of circumferentially spaced blades. Recently, these rotors and blades have been formed as an integral component, called an “integrally bladed rotor.”
In one known integrally bladed rotor, blades extend from an outer rim. The outer rim in integrally bladed rotors is subject to a number of stresses, and in particular, hoop stresses. The hoop stresses can cause the life of the integrally bladed rotor to be reduced due to thermal fatigue.